John Rusling Block (born February 15, 1935) is a former

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organ ...

, during the Reagan administration. He later became a lobbyist.

Early life

Block was born in

Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County ...

, on February 15, 1935. Of German descent, Block was the son of Julius Judd Block and Madeline (née Maddy) Block. He came from a strongly rural background where the home had no electricity. He graduated from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in 1957 and served in

101st Airborne The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operatio ...

. After that, he became successful in agribusiness.

Government services

Block was a Republican whose agriculture successes formed the basis for his position as the Illinois Director of Agriculture. This led to him becoming the

Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organ ...

in President Ronald Reagan's administration. He was involved in the 1985 Farm Bill Act. Block was a Secretary of Agriculture, when more farmers lost their farms than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s. During his term as Secretary, a Federal court judge ruled in a

due process Due process of law is application by state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to the case so all legal rights that are owed to the person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual pe ...

decision, ''Coleman vs. Block'', 663 FSupp 1315, 1332 (D.N.D. 1987), that the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

("USDA") and

Farmers Home Administration The Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) was a U.S. government agency established in August 1946 to replace the Farm Security Administration. It superseded the Resettlement Administration during the Great Depression and operated until 2006. FmHA mi ...

("FmHA") were not giving farmers enough notice of alternative debt restructuring options. The Court ordered the USDA and FmHA to amend the forms issued to farmers. The decision eventually led to restructuring and reorganization of many farm debts. During the U.S. government's appeal of the decision, Congress passed the

Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 In United States federal agriculture legislation, the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 () was enacted in response to the severe financial crisis of the early- to mid-1980s, which affected both farmers and their lending institutions. The Act autho ...

, Pub. L. No. 100-233, 101 Stat. 1568 (1988). Title VI of the Act made extensive changes in the statutory provisions which had formed the background for the ''Coleman'' litigation, the changes being designed to carry out the intent of the ''Coleman'' decisions. In June 1981, Secretary Block invited agricultural and educational leaders willing to work cooperatively toward the common goal of educating the public about the role of agriculture to a workshop in Washington, DC. The resulting task force recommended that the U.S. Department of Agriculture help coordinate local and stat
Agriculture in the Classroom
efforts. Th
Declaration of Principle
was announced by Secretary of Agriculture John Block with a fanfare on Ag Day, March 21, 1983. The Declaration of Principle spelled out the purpose of the Agriculture in the Classroom program and featured the signatures of all seven living former Secretaries of Agriculture. There are no
Agriculture in the Classroom
programs in every state and many U.S. Territories. Canada, with assistance from USDA, developed a
Agriculture in the Classroom
program in every Province as well as a national organization. Countries around the world are interested in Agriculture in the Classroom because they have experienced the same needs in agricultural education.

Post-government career

Since then he has been an executive at

John Deere Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipment, a ...

and is President of Food Distributors International. In 1992, he won the

Horatio Alger Horatio Alger Jr. (; January 13, 1832 – July 18, 1899) was an American author who wrote young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through good works. His wri ...

Award. He has been the active in global food programs as well. In 2004, he joined the Board of Directors of "Digital Angel", which is more of an Internet company. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Friends of the World Food Program (currently known as World Food Program USA), a non-profit dedicated to supporting the UN World Food Program and its efforts to end global hunger. He is a Senior Policy Adviser at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz, a Washington law and lobbying firm that specializes in representing interests before the USDA and related federal agencies. Since 2008, he has served on the Board of Directors for Aemetis.

Private life

He married Susan Rathje "Sue" Block, a cousin of famed Chicago banker

Frank C. Rathje Frank Rathje (August 20, 1882 – February 24, 1967) was a Chicago banker who served as president of the American Bankers Association and the Illinois Bankers' Association during World War II. He founded the Mutual National Bank of Chicago and th ...

. He and Susan had one son and two daughters: Hans, Cynthia and Christine. He was a very large farmer outside of Knoxville, Illinois and his children attended public school in Knoxville, Illinois. He has a daughter, Savannah, with his second wife and they live in Dunn Loring, Virginia.

External links

John Block profile from a site on Presidents

Horatio Alger Award siteJohn Block Reports
Archived radio commentary from John Block's weekly radio spot about agriculture and government * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Block, John R. 1935 births Living people Businesspeople from Illinois American food industry businesspeople United States Secretaries of Agriculture Reagan administration cabinet members Military personnel from Illinois 20th-century American politicians United States Army officers United States Military Academy alumni People from Galesburg, Illinois American people of German descent John Deere